POLITICAL ISSUE # 509: AIDS EPIDEMIC

PRESENT CONDITION: The fatal viral infection known as HIV which in its later stages produces the symptoms known as Acquired Immune Difficiency Syndrome or AIDS has reached near epidemic proportions and appears to be spreading further.

DIRECTION OF IMPROVEMENT: The incidence of HIV infection should significantly reduced.

ISSUE JUSTIFICATION: AIDS is becoming extremely costly to the economic and social fabric of American society because: 1) AIDS strikes mainly young people and thereby robs them and our society of their productive adult potential. 2) AIDS is a debilitating disease that requires prolonged and often intensive care 3) AIDS is an incurable fatal disease that causes emotional distress to the family and friends of the victim as well as to American society.

Author: John M. Humphrey EMAIL: humphrey@aimnet.com

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DESCRIPTION: The United States shall offer a series of three rewards to individuals who demonstrates a vaccine that is effective against AIDS. These rewards shall be in the amount of $25M for the first vaccine identified, $15M for the second and $7.5M for the third. These rewards shall be payable to the inventors of the vaccine not to their employers or managers. The US government shall make facilities available to confirm promising vaccines by individuals who lack adequate facilities to perform their own evaluation. Employees of pharmaceutical companies or universities may submit candidate vaccines for evaluation and their employers shall be barred from any adverse actions.

JUSTIFICATION: Many of the great advances of the past (e.g. the Transcontinental railway and Lindberg's solo flight in the Spirit of St Louis) were motivated by a payment for results. The modern trend is to pay people for trying which produces an incentive to keep trying forever. The emerging AIDS bureauacracy is one result of this approach. While we should continue funding AIDS research, offering an additional reward for success costs nothing unless a vaccine is developed. If the reward helps accelerate the development of a vaccine then the cost of the reward will be trivial compared to the savings.

Author: John M. Humphrey EMAIL: humphrey@aimnet.com

OPTIONS FOR SOLUTION #509.1: REWARD FOR AIDS VACCINE

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